- A woman was arrested after switching off the oxygen machine of a neighboring patient twice.
- Mannheim authorities said the suspect turned off the machine after "feeling disturbed by the noise."
An elderly hospital patient has been arrested on suspicion of switching off the oxygen machine of a neighboring patient – twice – because it was too noisy, German authorities said.
According to a joint press release by the public prosecutor's office and police headquarters in Mannheim, southwestern Germany, authorities detained 72-year-old on suspicion of attempted manslaughter after Tuesday's incident. AP News and several other media outlets reported on the incident.
Authorities brought her before a judge on Wednesday, arrested her, and took her to a "correctional facility," the press release said.
The woman has been accused of turning off the main switch of an oxygen machine supporting a neighboring 79-year-old woman at an unspecified time before 8 p.m. on Tuesday after "feeling disturbed by the noise," the statement said.
The hospital staff told the suspect that the oxygen supply was a "vital measure" for the 79-year-old neighboring patient, but authorities said she switched off the machine again at around 9 p.m.
The 79-year-old patient then required resuscitation and is still receiving intensive medical care, per the press release. Her life is no longer in danger, the release said.
Investigations into the incident are ongoing.